नाहं मर्त्यस्य वै राजन्पुत्रानिच्छे कथंचन। दैवतेभ्यः प्रसादाच्च पुत्रानिच्छे नराधिप
'O king, I do not wish for sons from a mortal in any way; but by the favor of the gods, I desire sons, O lord of men.'
प्रार्थयंत्यै त्वया शक्र कुंत्यै देयो नरस्ततः। वचसा च मदीयेन एवं कुरु शचीपते
'When she requests, O Śakra, a man should be given to Kuntī by you; and by my word, do thus, O lord of Śacī.'
अथाब्रवीत्तदा विष्णुं देवेशो दुःखितो वचः। अस्मिन्मन्वंतरेऽतीते चतुर्विंशतिके युगे
Then, distressed, the lord of the gods spoke these words to Vishnu: In this past Manvantara, in the cycle of twenty-four yugas—
अवतीर्य रघुकुले गृहे दशरथस्य च। रावणस्य वधार्थाय शांत्यर्थं च दिवौकसाम्
You descended in the Raghu dynasty, in the house of Dasharatha, for the destruction of Ravana and for the peace of the gods.
रामरूपेण भवता सीतार्थमटता वने। मत्पुत्रो हिंसितो देव सूर्यपुत्रहितार्थिना
Assuming the form of Rama, you wandered in the forest for Sita's sake; O god, my son was harmed by you, who sought the welfare of the son of the Sun.
वालिनाम प्लवंगेंद्रः सुग्रीवार्थे त्वया यतः। दुःखेनानेन तप्तोहं गृह्णामि न सुतं नरम्
Vali, the king of the monkeys, was slain by you for the sake of Sugriva; afflicted by this sorrow, I do not accept a human son.
अगृह्णमानं देवेंद्रं कारणांतरवादिनम्। हरिः प्रोचे शुनासीरं भुवो भारावतारणे
When Indra, giving other reasons, did not accept, Hari spoke to Shunāsīra regarding the removal of the burden of the earth.
अवतारं करिष्यामि मर्त्यलोके त्वहं प्रभो। सूर्यपुत्रस्य नाशार्थं जयार्थमात्मजस्य ते
I myself will descend to the world of mortals, O lord, to destroy the son of the Sun and to grant victory to your own son.
सारथ्यं च करिष्यामि नाशं कुरुकुलस्य च। ततो हृष्टोभवच्छक्रो विष्णुवाक्येन तेन ह
I will also act as charioteer and bring about the destruction of the Kuru dynasty; then Shakra was gladdened by those words of Vishnu.
प्रतिगृह्य नरं हृष्टः सत्यं चास्तु वचस्तव। एवमुक्त्वा वरं देवः प्रेषयित्वाऽच्युतः स्वयम्
Joyfully accepting the man, he said, 'May your words be fulfilled.' Having spoken thus, the god, after sending Achyuta, departed himself.
गत्वा तु पुंडरीकाक्षो ब्रह्माणं प्राह वै पुनः। त्वया सृष्टमिदं सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्
Then Pundarīkākṣa went and again addressed Brahma: All this, the three worlds with moving and unmoving beings, has been created by you.
आवां कार्यस्य करणे सहायौ च तव प्रभो। स्वयं कृत्वा पुनर्नाशं कर्तुं देव न बुध्यसे
We two, O lord, are your helpers in the accomplishment of your task; though you yourself have created, you do not realize that you must also bring about destruction.
कृतं जुगुप्सितं कर्म शंभुमेतं जिघांसता। त्वया च देवदेवस्य सृष्टः कोपेन वै पुमान्
An act to be shunned has been done in seeking to slay Shambhu; and by you, out of anger, a man was created from the lord of the gods.
शुद्ध्यर्थमस्य पापस्य प्रायश्चित्तं परं कुरु। गृह्णन्वह्नित्रयं देव अग्निहोत्रमुपाहर
For the purification of this sin, perform the supreme atonement; taking up the three fires, O god, offer the agnihotra.
पुण्यतीर्थे तथा देशे वने वापि पितामह। स्वपत्न्या सहितो यज्ञं कुरुष्वास्मत्परिग्रहात्
In a holy place, or in a sacred region, or in a forest, O grandsire, perform the sacrifice with your own wife, accepting us as priests.
सर्वे देवास्तथादित्या रुद्राश्चापि जगत्पते। आदेशं ते करिष्यंति यतोस्माकं भवान्प्रभुः
All the gods, the Adityas, and even the Rudras, O lord of the world, will carry out your command, for you are our master.
एकोहि गार्हपत्योग्निर्दक्षिणाग्निर्द्वितीयकः। आहवनीयस्तृतीयस्तु त्रिकुंडेषु प्रकल्पय
Let there be one household fire, the southern fire as the second, and the offering fire as the third—establish them in three pits.
वर्तुले त्वर्चयात्मानम्मामथो धनुराकृतौ। चतुःकोणे हरं देवं ऋग्यजुःसामनामभिः
In the circular pit, worship yourself in the form of the sun; in the bow-shaped one, worship the god Hara in the four-cornered pit, with the names of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas.
अग्नीनुत्पाद्य तपसा परामृद्धिमवाप्य च। दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु हुत्वाग्नीन्शमयिष्यसि
Having kindled the fires through austerity and attained supreme prosperity, after offering oblations for a divine thousand years, you will pacify the fires.
अग्निहोत्रात्परं नान्यत्पवित्रमिह पठ्यते। सुकृतेनाग्निहोत्रेण प्रशुद्ध्यंति भुवि द्विजाः
Nothing is declared purer here than the agnihotra; by the meritorious agnihotra, the twice-born are purified on earth.
पंथानो देवलोकस्य ब्राह्मणैर्दशितास्त्वमी। एकोग्निः सर्वदा धार्यो गृहस्थेन द्विजन्मना
These paths to the realm of the gods have been shown by the Brahmins; a householder of twice-born status must always maintain a single fire.
विनाग्निना द्विजेनेह गार्हस्थ्यन्न तु लभ्यते। भीष्म उवाच। योऽसौ कपालादुत्पन्नो नरो नाम धनुर्द्धरः
Without fire, a twice-born person here cannot obtain the fruits of household life. Bhishma said: That one who was born from the skull, called Nara, the wielder of the bow—
किमेष माधवाज्जात उताहो स्वेन कर्मणा। उत रुद्रेण जनितो ह्यथवा बुद्धिपूर्वकम्
Was he born from Madhava, or by his own actions? Or was he produced by Rudra, or perhaps through deliberate intent?
ब्रह्मन्हिरण्यगर्भोऽयमंडजातश्चतुर्मुखः। अद्भुतं पञ्चमं तस्य वक्त्रं तत्कथमुत्थितम्
O Brahmin, Hiranyagarbha is the one born from the egg, four-faced; the fifth wondrous face of his—how did it arise?
सत्वे रजो न दृश्येत न सत्वं रजसि क्वचित्। सत्वस्थो भगवान्ब्रह्मा कथमुद्रेकमादधात्
In sattva, rajas is not seen, nor is sattva found in rajas anywhere; how did Brahma, established in sattva, take on excess?
मूढात्मना नरो येन हंतुं हि प्रहितो हरं। पुलस्त्य उवाच। महेश्वरहरी चैतो द्वावेव सत्पथि स्थितौ
By whom was that man, with a deluded mind, sent to slay Hara? Pulastya said: Maheshvara and Hari—these two alone stand on the righteous path.
तयोरविदितं नास्ति सिद्धासिद्धं महात्मनोः। ब्रह्मणः पंचमं वक्त्रमूर्द्ध्वमासीन्महात्मनः
There is nothing unknown to these two great souls, whether accomplished or unaccomplished; Brahma’s fifth face was above, belonging to the great soul.
ततो ब्रह्माभवन्मूढो रजसा चोपबृंहितः। ततोऽयं तेजसा सृष्टिममन्यत मया कृता
Then Brahma became deluded, strengthened by rajas; then he thought that creation was made by his own power.
मत्तोऽन्यो नास्ति वै देवो येन सृष्टिः प्रवर्तिता। सह देवाः सगंधर्वाः पशुपक्षिमृगाकुलाः
There is no other god besides me by whom creation is set in motion, along with the gods, Gandharvas, and the hosts of animals, birds, and beasts.
एवं मूढः स पंचास्यो विरिंचिरभवत्पुनः। प्राग्वक्त्रं मुखमेतस्य ऋग्वेदस्य प्रवर्तकम्
Thus, deluded, that five-faced Virinchi arose again; his front face is the originator of the Rig Veda.